Living in the Spirit
August 30, 2020
Scripture Reading:
Matthew 16:21-28
Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?
‘For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.’ –Matthew 16:24-28
My sister and I were reminiscing recently about the small, rural church we attended as children. One of its traditions was to have a more informal evening service where hymns were selected randomly by members of the congregation, calling out a title and page number. Much to my parent’s embarrassment one evening, my sister, brother, and I called out all the songs we sang. New rules were set on the road home. Beyond that, while my sister and brother called out a variety of songs, I almost always requested Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone. It was my favorite song, although it is no longer included in most hymnals. I do not really remember singing all the verses about getting a crown. The first verse was my anthem:
Must Jesus bear the cross alone
And all the world go free?
No, there’s a cross for ev’ry one,
And there’s a cross for me.
As a child, I think I intuitively accepted the theology that the Kingdom of God was launched at the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, the Christ. We, as Christ-followers, are called to live into the growth and development of God’s Kingdom in everything we do. I have never thought of it, though, as working toward a prize. It is more like living in a big family where each person, based on their age and skills, has tasks to complete for the good of the whole family. I still believe that today. Jesus taught us to love God and love one another as the foundation of that Kingdom. It is an old, old story but much needed today.
Prayer: Lord, we sometimes need to remember and return to the faith of a child to clear the cobwebs of the world from interfering with our loving one another. Clean our hearts, oh Lord, and help us find and bear any cross you have for us. Amen.
*First verse of Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone, by Thomas Shepherd at https://hymnary.org/text/must_jesus_bear_the_cross_alone
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.